Saturday, October 29, 2011

When you think of American classics, you might think of baseball, Abe Lincoln, apple pie... and Anthony Dominick Benedetto. That's Tony Bennett to you.

Bennett has released more than 70 albums in a career that spans 60 years. His latest is "Duets II," on which he collaborates with Willie Nelson, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Amy Winehouse, Natalie Cole, Lady Gaga and others. Bennett recently stopped by NPR's studios to perform a few songs -- but before he did, he spoke with Weekend Edition Saturday's Scott Simon, who began by asking how the singer chose the new album's roster of talent.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Q: I know Columbia introduced the long-play format in 1948 with a 10-inch Frank Sinatra LP. But it doesn't make sense that they would release just one selection. Are there others that we don't hear about? -- Joel Knight, Johnstown, Pa.

A: Yes, there are exactly 100 others you don't hear about -- until now.

At a two-day Columbia Records convention (June 21-22, 1948), they proudly announced, and previewed for the media and distributors, a debut catalog of 101 microgroove LPs. Two months later, they went on sale nationwide.

For this initial offering, Columbia stuck with their most popular styles and genres.

The biggest chunk of this first batch of vinylite (soon shortened to "vinyl") is the 70 classical music albums in their Masterworks series.

The main reason you hear more about "The Voice of Frank Sinatra" is because his is where the pop numbering began, giving the impression it came ahead of the others. What is not widely known is that all 101 of these albums -- specifically 30 10-inch and 71 12-inch discs -- came out at the same time.

By the end of August, some 500 Columbia record retailers had their starting inventory. With the records, stores also received Philco 33-speed album players (retailing for $31.50), needed to demonstrate the new microgroove format.

Len Blavatnik poised to pay $1.5bn for the last major British record label, home to the Beatles and Coldplayby James Robinson and Mark SweneyThe Guardian, 28 October 2011

EMI, the record label that signed the Beatles, Pink Floyd and Coldplay, is likely to be broken up this week and sold to a Russian-born billionaire.

The sale will mark the end of an era for UK music. EMI is the last major domestic music label and its record of signing homegrown talent has made it the unofficial home of British pop.

EMI's other acts include Kylie Minogue, Kate Bush and Tinie Tempah. It is now owned by American bank Citigroup, which took control of the label when its private equity owner Terra Firma failed to repay the loans it took out to buy EMI in August 2007.

Citigroup has been in talks to sell EMI's recording arm and its music publishing division since last year, but at the end of the week Universal, one of the main potential buyers, pulled out of the bidding process, leaving the wealthy businessman Len Blavatnik in pole position to buy the bulk of the business.

Blavatnik is the New York-based founder and owner of Access Industries, the international chemicals conglomerate that bought EMI's rival Warner Music for £2bn in May this year.

He is expected to pay around $1.5bn for EMI's recorded music division, according to industry sources. Its publishing arm, which owns the rights to a catalogue of more than a million songs by artists including Kanye West, Arctic Monkeys and Jay-Z, is likely to be sold to the German media group Bertelsmann and KKR, an American private equity company.

The deal will create a third major global music label to rival Universal and Sony, which have emerged as the dominant forces in global music following a string of deals in the industry over the past decade.

It is also likely to mean the end of the EMI brand in America, where the label is expected to be phased out, although the name will be retained in European markets.

The final details of the sale are still being hammered out, but music industry sources say official confirmation is likely to come at the end of the week.

Senior industry figures are already bemoaning the fact that a national industry champion is set to fall into foreign hands. Jazz Summers, a rock music veteran who was manager of British indie band the Verve, said: "It's a tradition that I'll be sad to see end. It will be a stronger record company [after the sale] but it will also throw a lot of people out on the street." The new owner is expected to trim the combined group's workforce after the sale is complete, and hundreds of jobs are expected to go as a result.

EMI's sale follows the disposal of other quintessentially British companies, including Rover and Cadbury, to overseas brands. Cadbury was bought by the American food giant Kraft in 2009.

But Sir Martin Sorrell, who chairs British-based WPP, one of the world's most powerful advertising and marketing companies, said that it would be wrong to feel sentimental about EMI falling into foreign hands.

"I think it was probably inevitable, given what happened with Terra Firma and given consolidation due to [the shift to] online content. It was inevitable that the established brands would have to consolidate", Sorrell said.

He added: "We do work in a global economy, we don't operate in a vacuum. Plenty of [UK] companies have benefited from overseas expansion and have done well overseas. It is more to do with global business and not a great British brand disappearing. The pressure has been there since Napster and the impact of online on the music business."

The digital revolution and the advent of iTunes and the iPod transformed the economics of the music industry and has forced major labels to seek merger deals.

Terra Firma, which was founded by the millionaire buyout specialist Guy Hands, embarked on a cost-cutting exercise after it acquired EMI four years ago, in an attempt to reduce debts of around £2bn.

Hands cut up to £100m a year in spending on items including "fruit and flowers" (widely believed to be a euphemism for drugs). The company's £700,000-a-year London taxi bill was slashed, and some 2,000 jobs went in his first year.

That exercise is now likely to be repeated by EMI's new owners, with further redundancies of around 10% expected at its global workforce of around 3,500.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Exactly ten months after a memorable concert on January 29, the thrilling Oakland-based jazz songstress is back @ The Jazzschool in Berkeley with The American Dreams Band. Voted one of the top 5 vocalists of the year in the 32nd Annual Jazz Station Poll, Laurie will be backed by Matt Clark (piano), John Shifflett (bass), Jason Lewis (drums), Dave MacNab (guitar) & Sheldon Brown (clarinet, sax, harmonica), performing songs from her critically acclaimed "American Dreams" CD, elected one of the best 5 vocal jazz albums of 2010 in our poll.

The deadline to enter your songs is approaching soon on November 1, so you still have time to enter your songs. Enter now for a chance to share $150,000 in cash and prizes, including an overall Grand Prize of $25,000 (US) cash and $20,000 in prizes. Do you have great songs? Find out by entering the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) and gain worldwide recognition for your songs.http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/submit

Now in its tenth year, ISC has become known for its great prizes and elite group of high-profile judges who select the winners. Ask any music industry executive or songwriter which competitions rank as the most influential, and they will place ISC at the top of the list. ISC is a unique opportunity for songwriters to get noticed and compete for an opportunity to share in over $150,000 in cash and prizes.

ISC is open to amateur and professional songwriters from all over the world - including bands and solo performers. 68 winners will be selected, including a Grand Prize winner who will be awarded $25,000 in cash (US) and more than $20,000 in prizes (including a custom Lowden guitar valued at over $11,000)!

Entering ISC is easy: you can mail in your songs or enter online through Sonicbids, Broadjam, ReverbNation, Myspace, or the ISC online platform. All of these entry methods are available on the ISC website, so you now have many options.

ISC is proud to announce many new judges for 2011 - this means new ears will be listening to and judging this year's finalists and ultimately selecting the 2011 winners (this could be you!). Don't miss out on this unprecedented opportunity to have these iconic artists and high-profile industry pros hear your music!

Entrants may submit as many songs as they wish - different songs in the same category or the same song in multiple categories.************September 'Crank Your Cred' Winners AnnouncedEach month ISC picks two winners from all the songs entered via Myspace in that month. At the end of ISC, the monthly winners will go head-to-head in an online public vote. The winner receives lots of cool prizes and the kudos of being the ISC 'Crank Your Cred' winner.

You are receiving this message beacuse, according to our files, you are currently registered and living in California's 30th Congressional District, having joined "Obama for America."

President Obama just took two serious steps to make life a lot easier for folks with student loans -- and there's a good chance you or someone you know will benefit from these changes very soon.

Here's how:

-- Effective this January, if you're someone who has different kinds of loans -- guaranteed and direct -- you'll be able to roll them both into one direct loan and bring down your interest rate. You'll only have to write one check a month, and you'll see a discount. This switch adds no cost to taxpayers across the board.

-- You might remember that, as part of last year's student loan reform, borrowers' loan payments could be no higher than 10 percent of their disposable income. This is a big deal -- but it wasn't going to help anyone enrolling before 2014. Today, the President announced that he's speeding up this program so it will affect students next year -- helping over 1 million students. This will have huge consequences for people struggling to make their student loan payments.

Sometimes, it can be hard to see how policy changes will actually affect your day-to-day life.

Not the case with this one. These changes will make a real difference in helping millions of Americans get by month to month.

We put together a video explaining how these changes will help Americans. Watch it to learn a little more about what today's steps would do, and then make sure everyone you know who should hear about it does.

President Obama isn't waiting on Congress to take action. He's doing everything in his power, right now, to help bolster our economy and get folks back on their feet.

On Monday, he laid out new rules on federal mortgages to help make sure more families don't lose their homes to foreclosure.

On Tuesday, the administration announced two new initiatives to help veterans find work.

Today, it means making changes that make student loans a lot easier to manage.

These are actions that can't wait on the next vote or the next election. So long as people are struggling, this President and this administration will do everything in their power to help them when and where they can. It's just that simple.

Now, let's make sure that the millions of people who stand to benefit from today's steps know about it.

This next weekend you can catch Gary Dennis & Co. down at "The Bornemouth Soul Weekender"!Friday 28th, Saturday 29th, Sunday 30th October 2011The Carrington House Hotel, Boscombe, BH1 3QQBack once again after the great sucesss of last years event! Tickets are nearly sold out so please be quick!DJs: Bob Jones, Bob Masters, Gary Dennis, Chris Bangs, Andy Davies, Kev Beadle, Ed Stokes,Ginger Tony.*****************************************************Madame Jojo's get's on THE GOOD FOOT, every Friday with Resident DJ Snowboy and weekly guest DJsDJ Snowboy presents a weekly selection of Original and Authentic, Floor-shaking vintage black music from it’s most legendary eras!With the UK's greatest g uest DJ’s, Regular Album launches from ACE Records and exclusive concert after-parties. Expect an incomparable feel-good blend of 60’s & 70’s R&B, Deep Funk, Soul, Boogaloo, Mambo and Rare Groove

Below is a special opportunity that we wanted to give you a heads up about. Just got the word about this project today, and TAXI need the music by 2PM (PDT) Monday, October 31st, 2011. You can find this listing under the Blues (Film & TV) genre in the Submit Music section of your TAXImusic.com hosting site.

Incredibly Successful Publisher of Period Music for Film & TV Licensing URGENTLY needs AUTHENTIC BLUES RECORDINGS that were recorded between 1920 and 1990. Songs with vocals OR instrumentals with no vocals are BOTH okay for this pitch. This company has become the HOT go-to publisher for some EXTREMELY popular TV shows and they get TONS of GREAT placements! They DO NOT want material that was recently recorded and made to SOUND old. They will ONLY take SONGS or INSTRUMENTALS that were actually recorded back in the day, and have copyright dates that prove it (1920-1990)!

This is a golden opportunity to place music that you thought had seen better days and had no hope in today's market. If you own the masters and copyrights on past hits, great! But even if you've got demos or masters that are AUTHENTICALLY from 1920-1990 and never got signed, they're interested in hearing those as well! NO COVERS - Must be ORIGINAL songs or instrumentals.

Worried that your recordings/production might sound dated and NOT contemporary? They could be PERFECT for this company! They DO NOT want slick, ProTools generated recordings. They WANT old sounding material. You've finally got the shot you've always wanted at making money with your old recordings! You MUST OWN OR CONTROL the COPYRIGHTS and MASTERS in order to submit for this. Several TAXI members have already made great deals and had killer placements through this publisher.

If you've got some oldies but goodies lying around, you need to submit to this listing! Please submit one to three songs online or per CD. All submissions will be screened on a YES/NO BASIS. NO critiques from TAXI due to the short deadline. Submissions must be received no later than MONDAY, OCTOBER 31st at 2PM (PST). TAXI #Y111031BL

Monday, October 24, 2011

...Are you ready?There are a few rooms available at Diving Horse Inn! The hotel is in the SAME building as Saints and Sinners!Saturday Night: Diving Horse Gentlemen's Club is having live bands perform starting at Midnight! Feat. Jumpship and Lou Sassle & The Chain Smokers There will also be side show acts throughout the night - Sword Swallowers, a Contortionist, and many more!Luxx Lounge has local DJs kicking off the party at 11pm and then The Disco Fries come on at 2am to keep the party going until 7am!Costume contest with a $1,000 CASH GRAND PRIZE!Brass Rail will be serving BREAKFAST from 5am to 11am!Every Saturday, Every Couple is ONLY $50!!!!This gets you into Saints and Sinners and use of all its ammenities, Diving Horse Gentlemen's Club, and Luxx Lounge!IN ADDITION, to the new low price, Diving Horse Inn is offering HALF-PRICED ROOMS when you attend a S&S party!One more... Show your membership card from another club and get $10 OFF!!!!Where else are you can you go and get ALL of this for $50?!?!Come to the only place in Atlantic City where you can party for 8 hours in 3 upscale clubs - Saints and Sinners, Diving Horse Gentlemen's Club, and Luxx Lounge for ONE price!

Charles Hamm, Author on American Popular Music, Dies at 86by Zachary Woolfe - New York TimesOctober 24, 2011

Charles Hamm, who helped establish the field of American popular music history with two books that have become standard texts, died on Oct. 16 in Lebanon, N.H. He was 86.

The cause was pneumonia, his son Stuart said.

After beginning his career as a specialist in Renaissance music, Mr. Hamm became frustrated with the condescension of his fellow musicologists toward the popular music of their own time. He began to write and lecture on the subject.

"There was no literature in my own discipline to guide me," he later recalled in "Putting Popular Music in Its Place," a 1995 collection of his essays. "My first attempts were shots in the dark, guided only by the germ of a conviction that popular music should be approached as a complex field encompassing composers, performers, audiences, the music industry, the media and the state."

In "Yesterdays: Popular Song in America" (1979) and "Music in the New World" (1983), Mr. Hamm was one of the first scholars to study the history of American popular music with musicological rigor and sensitivity to complex racial and ethnic dynamics, and both oral and written traditions. He traced pop's history not just to its full recent flowering in the 1950s or to the 19th century and Stephen Foster, but also to the colonial-era compositions that created the context for all that followed.

His books "convinced other scholars to study and take seriously the music loved by ordinary people," Dale Cockrell, the director of the Center for Popular Music at Middle Tennessee State University, said in an e-mail.

Charles Edward Hamm was born in Charlottesville, Va., on April 21, 1925. In high school he was a member of the band and the choir, and he played trombone in a local swing band. He studied music at the University of Virginia, and earned both a master's degree in composition and a Ph.D. in musicology from Princeton University.

He taught at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and was active as a composer, with works that included a chamber opera, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" (1956), based on the James Thurber story.

He went on to teach at Tulane, the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and Dartmouth, where he was named the Arthur R. Virgin professor of music in 1976 and served as chairman of the music department.

Mr. Hamm's books also included "Irving Berlin: Songs From the Melting Pot" (1997), for which he received a Special Achievement Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, or Ascap, in 1998.

He published articles on the music of American avant-garde composers like John Cage, on George Gershwin, and on the popular music of South Africa and China, and was a contributor to the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and the Harvard Dictionary of Music.

In 1981 he was a founding member of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, and twice served as its chairman. In 2002 the Society for American Music presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

In addition to his son Stuart, he is survived by two other sons, Bruce and Chris; a sister, Ruby; a brother, Jerry, and four grandchildren.

You are receiving this message beacuse, according to our files, you are currently registered and living in California's 30th Congressional District, having joined "Obama for America."

Now that each and every Senate Republican has vowed to block measures that would create jobs, President Obama is not going to wait for them to rebuild the economy and bring financial security back to the middle class.

Today, he announced new rules on federal mortgages to prevent more families from losing their homes to foreclosure. And that's just the beginning -- the President said he would continue to make the changes he can by executive action, while continuing to urge Congress to act on legislation to strengthen the economy and create jobs.

If Congress doesn't act, he will -- because millions of Americans can't just wait for Congress to do their jobs. That's why thousands of you have been calling and tweeting your representatives over the past month, joining the President in sending a message to lawmakers in Washington that they need to act now.

We're not just going to continue to wait -- and we'll be keeping up the pressure by making sure they're hearing from folks across the country every day about why they need to act.

Will you share your story -- and join President Obama in telling Congress that we can't and won't wait?

Republicans in Congress have repeatedly filibustered the President's ideas to create jobs now -- ideas that until recently were supported by Republicans.

The President's action today also stands in stark contrast to the positions of the Republicans running for president. Mitt Romney even told a newspaper last week that we actually shouldn't act; we should let the housing crisis "run its course" and "hit the bottom" so that "investors" can come in and buy up these homes at cheap prices. He's saying to homeowners that they are on their own, forcing thousands of families to explain to their kids why they have to give up their homes.

Doing nothing while families struggle: that's the opposite of what this president and this campaign stand for. President Obama isn't going to let Congress' inaction stop him from doing what he can right now.

So here's what the President's announcement means:

-- More families whose homes are under water will get help and save money on their monthly mortgage payment through the Home Affordable Refinance Programs.

-- If the value of your mortgage is $100,000 and your house is valued at $75,000, you previously weren't able to refinance to save your home -- forcing many families to pay higher interest rates. As a result of today's announcement, many more responsible homeowners will be able to lower their rates and pay their debts.

-- And this is just one of the incremental changes to come. Next, the President will announce new steps to help young people manage their federal student loan debt while they look for a job and get on their feet. He'll also take action to help small businesses and entrepreneurs, spur the engines of job growth, create new jobs, and assist veterans in finding them.

These measures alone are not a comprehensive solution to the economic challenges we face. That needs to come out of Congress -- and if they're going to finally put party aside, they're going to need to keep hearing from us. President Obama is stepping up the pressure, and he's counting on us to keep going, too.

Fans have been eagerly waiting for it: the complete collection of Miles Davis' concerts at Montreux is finally available today in the USA, released by Eagle Vision. "These live recordings, spanning nearly 30 years, not only show Miles' creativity but also the major influence he had and still has on today's music. I am very proud that by keeping all these recordings through the years and using only direct mixes, the magic of Montreux can be yours now," says Claude Nobs, director and founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival.

A DVD of "highlights" had already been released in July, but this historic 10-DVD, titled "Miles! The Definitive Miles Davis at Montreux" captures all of Miles Davis' performances at the renowned Montreux Jazz Festival between 1973 and 1991, the last being less than three months before his death. It is an unparalleled archive of live Miles Davis performances and is now being released on a visual format for the first time ever.

Total Time: 1.092 minutes! Ten discs. Twenty Hours. [MSRP $149.98]

Mastered in DTS Surround and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, this limited issue box will only be manufactured to the tune of 5,000 units. This release – an unparalleled archive of live Miles – comes complete with a 48 page booklet featuring a foreword by Montreux Jazz Festival founder Claude Nobs, about this most enigmatic, prolific, and important jazz figure of the 20th century.

Although many tunes are repeated across the years, the concerts are strikingly individual with extensive improvisation and frequent rearrangements.

It would be 11 years before Miles would grace the Montreux stage again. In 1984, with a seven-piece band (featuring Bob Berg on sax and keyboards, Darryl Jones, now in the Rolling Stones, on bass, John Scofield on guitar and Al Foster on drums), Miles performs 11 pieces stretching out over an hour and a half. The following year, the same lineup would perform the same set but you'd never know it by the way Miles changes up the changes in each song so it never comes out the same way twice.

The two-hour 13-piece '85 set includes material from the "Tribute To Jack Johnson" and "Star People" albums including Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time." In '86, Robben Ford replaces Scofield on guitar. Keyboardist George Duke ("Tutu" and "Splatch") and saxophonist David Sanborn ("Burn," "Portia," and "Jean-Pierre") are special guests.

In 1988, Miles returns for a very special night with saxophonist Kenny Garrett (who can also be heard on the 1990 set) to explore his "In A Silent Way" for the first time in years. The two-hour, 16-piece set is a spellbinder.

In 1989, Chaka Khan adds vocals to "Human Nature" in a fabulous 13-piece 113-minute set (I was there!) that features Rick Margitza on sax (as far as I know, Rick's only performance with Miles ever taped), Kei Akagi and Adam Holzman on keyboards, Foley on lead bass, Benny Rietveld on bass, Ricky Wellman on drums and Munyungo Jackson on percussion.

The final concert, on July 8, 1991, a little under three months before Miles' death, is a haunting 60-minute set previously available on CD and LaserDisc (the total time of the original LaserDisc was 74 minutes, since it included rehearsal takes too), featuring Quincy Jones conducting the Gil Evans Orchestra and George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band. On this night, Miles allows himself one small semblance of sentimentality, performing tracks from his legendary collaborations with Gil on the albums "Miles Ahead," "Porgy and Bess" and "Sketches of Spain."

With Miles' philosophy of "never look back" it was extraordinary that he would agree to perform such a show and it was a truly unique occasion captured here for posterity. Miles Davis is undeniably one of the most important and successful jazz figures of the 20th century. This unrivalled DVD box set of his live performances at Montreux is a release to be truly cherished, by far the most important video release of this year.

The seductively orchestrated Latin-pop songs that set British feet tapping in the 1940s and 50s made the Trinidad-born bandleader Edmundo Ros a household name. But beside such musical success, Ros, who has died aged 100, made a remarkable reinvention of his life: the mixed-race "outsider" successfully challenged the British class system, to become, as he put it, "a respected gentleman".

When he went to London in June 1937 to study at the Royal Academy of Music, he felt racially categorised by being sent to lodgings for colonial students. A tall, strikingly handsome man, he was determined to crash through such restrictions. Within five years, he had deployed his talents, charisma and charm to good enough effect to find himself performing for the future Queen of England – and was himself developing a cut-glass accent.

Ros began this transformation as soon as he arrived in the capital. On his first night there, he went to the Nest club in Soho to join pianist Don Marino Barreto as a drummer in Cuban songs. The next day, he was hired to play drums and sing on the Mayfair circuit of fashion salons and supper clubs, and in 1938 recorded with both Barreto and Fats Waller.

Ros often ran Barreto's Dance Orchestra, modelled on the influential Havana band, the Lecuona Cuban Boys. He opened Mayfair's Embassy Club, sporting ruffle-sleeved "rumba shirts", and led Edmundo Ros's Rumba Band in the New Cosmo and other clubs. A 1939 Melody Maker headline declared, with the popular new dance in mind, "He came… he saw… he conga'd!" Ros's first recording, Los Hijos de Buda (Sons of Buddha, 1941) was authentic Cuban rumba.

During the second world war, Ros briefly drove ambulances before launching his own 16-piece dance orchestra to play at the Coconut Grove Club at 177 Regent Street. He alternated between that and the Bagatelle Club off Picadilly, where members included Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle, and the heads of Europe's allied forces. Most significant to Ros, Princess Elizabeth danced there with her friend Captain Wills.

Ros's popularity escalated in postwar Britain through live radio concerts, produced by Cecil Madden. In 1948, he supported Carmen Miranda for a year at the London Palladium, while still playing the Coconut Grove, and the following year The Wedding Samba sold 3m copies in Britain and entered the US charts.

Its success coincided with a highly publicised high court adultery case involving him and a Dutch army officer, both known to an upper-class English couple. Instead of protesting his innocence, Ros remained silent during the trial, but was still fined £1000 for having befriended the lady in question, whereas the truly guilty party was fined £300. Ros understood the racial implications but saw it as his big break, since in discussing the case, Queen Elizabeth, the later Queen Mother, apparently described him as "a gentleman". In 1950, her husband, King George VI, invited him to perform at Windsor, and he took his fiancee, the beautiful Swedish aristocrat Britt Johansen, whom he married that year.

Ros was famously cagey about the royals, but he did once reveal to me, in a stage whisper, that he later lent his office at the Coconut Grove to Princess Margaret and Captain Peter Townsend "for private drinks". By then, his clothes were from Jermyn Street and he performed only to the upper classes. But his hit records – including Melodie d'Amour, Tico Tico, Her Bathing Suit Never Got Wet and The Cuban Love Song – and radio shows, still produced Madden, broke all social boundaries.

Latin music was by then a significant part of postwar Britain's dance scene, but fellow bandleader Victor Silvester suggested to Ros that he needed to adapt his music to get people dancing to it. By hooking a Latinised military beat to a familiar song, he produced an experimental version of Colonel Bogie in the style of the dance known as the merengue and proved the point: "It fitted beautifully," Ros recalled. That became "The Ros Sound" - flattened rhythms, catchy melodies and sophisticated arrangements, all fronted by his risque word-plays and tongue-twisting rhymes, carried on a soft Caribbean lilt.

In 1951, Ros bought the Coconut Grove's expiring lease and reopened as Edmundo Ros's Supper and Dance Club. It became the playground for an exclusive international membership of kings and admirals, Hollywood stars and British aristocrats. Its door policy was legendary, with both Peter O'Toole and King Hussein of Jordan refused admission for over-casual dress. Ros's holding company incorporated a talent agency, dance school and photo-lab for printing guests' portraits. On the radio, his hit records were a constant presence on programmes like Housewives' Choice and Two-way Family Favourites.

In 1953, Decca hired a young Belgian producer, Marcel Stellman, to work with the UK's leading Latin band leaders, Ros and Stanley Black. Stellman said, "The key to [Ros's] popularity was his engaging rhythm section. Within 12 bars of his music, people knew who it was, and they loved his rhythmic voice." He was not interested in an "authentic" Latin sound, though their first album, Rhythms of the South (1958) sold a million copies. Instead, he introduced pot-boilers like I'm Just Wild About Harry, set to mambos and sambas, and went on to strike gold in the 1960s with Ros at the Opera, Hair Goes Latin and even Japanese military tunes set to Latin beats.

Ros's popularity now extended internationally, and included a television collaboration in New York with his American counterpart Xavier Cugat, in the series Broadway Goes Latin. On British TV, Ros performed on faux-Spanish sets for The Billy Cotton Band Show, Saturday Night at the London Palladium and the Royal Variety Shows, and in 1965 was hired by Madden for A Night of 1000 Stars, the opening party for the BBC TV Centre, where he backed Vera Lynn and the Beverley Sisters. Bill Cotton Jr, later director of BBC Light Entertainment, described Ros's band as "very sophisticated; he was Latin American music".

A native of Port of Spain, Edmund William Ross had a complex family background. His mother, Luisa Urquart, was a teacher, apparently descended from indigenous Caribs, and his father, William Hope-Ross, the illegitimate son of a Scottish-Canadian plantation owner, brought to Trinidad by an employee called Hope-Ross. A ship's electrician, William took Luisa, and then their first two children, Edmund and Ruby, on boats around the Caribbean until they reached school age. At Tranquillity school, Port of Spain, their teachers instilled in them Victorian, Christian values brought from Britain.

Edmundo's father left the family and he became "a bit of a delinquent", ending up in the local police boot camp. In turned out to be a stroke of luck, since it introduced him to music through playing the euphonium and percussion. When his mother became involved with a man he loathed and had a son by him, the 17-year old left for Caracas, Venezuela to study at the Academy of Music under Maestro Vicente Emilio Sojo.

He played drums in the city's nightclubs, and was soon hired by Sojo as timpanist in the new Venezuela Symphony Orchestra. His local name, "Edmundo Ros", launched a lasting myth that he was Venezuelan. Impressed by Sojo, Ros applied to the RAM in London to study conducting and composition.

By the 1960s, Ros had become hugely wealthy, and lived with Britt and their children, Douglas and Luisa, in a modernist house in Mill Hill, north London. His car collection included a Rolls-Royce with the registration EWR1. With their children at boarding schools, Britt continued as his companion at his club.

However, as the decade went on, pop began to gnaw at Latin music. When his club lease expired, he closed down and turned to lucrative international tours. Then, in 1965, "Britt danced out of my life," leaving him for a Colombian friend of theirs whom she had met at the club. He sold the family home and bought a luxury apartment in St John's Wood, next to Victor Silvester. Silvester's grand-daughter Tara recalls "Uncle Edmundo" as "very good fun, very stern, very posh; he would do anything to stop you thinking he was black".

In 1971, Ros married Susan, three decades his junior, after they had met on a train. Four years later, he abruptly "closed the shop" following what he saw as mutinous behaviour by some recently unionised musicians during a tour of Japan. He sent his orchestra's sheet music archive to be shredded at the Bank of England, and during a formal dinner for the musicians and their wives announced, "It's all over."

Predictably, Ros's musical career did not end there. His last concert, in 1994, was a two-headed Latin extravaganza with Stanley Black, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, followed by a This Is Your Life programme on television. In 2000, the composer Michael Nyman produced a BBC TV documentary about him entitled I Sold My Cadillac to Diana Dors, and described him as: "One of the few black men to have attained national recognition; he hadn't gone for 'the gorblimeys', he wanted to be a gentleman, the greatest satisfaction you can earn in England."

Ros was appointed OBE in 2000, and his 1940s hit Va Va Voom reappeared in a cinema advertisement for a Triumph bra – a wry tribute to the man who, said Nyman, "single-handedly introduced Latin American music to English audiences". He is survived by Susan and his children.

Dee captivated and thrilled her audience at her sold out CD release show in Milford, Connecticut as well as an encore performance of her standing-ovation-crowned performance at the New York Metropolitan Room in the fall of 2008. Since then, she performed several sold-out performances in Moscow, Russia at the UCC Jazz Club, Kitano Jazz Lounge in Manhattan, Puppet's Jazz Bar in Brooklyn, and many other venues in Europe, NY and CT. Cassella's debut CD, "I'm Here Now" featured Dena DeRose, piano; Matt Wilson, drums; Martin Wind, bass; Jed Levy, sax and Gene Bertoncini, guitar, garnered rave reviews in the major jazz media. Come hear why!

You are receiving this message beacuse, according to our files, you are currently registered and living in California's 30th Congressional District, having joined "Obama for America."

I'm James Kvaal, the new policy director for President Obama's 2012 campaign. You'll be hearing from me occasionally about the President's policies and those of our opponents, and how we can all help bring about change for our country.

Yesterday, we accomplished one major change when President Obama announced that all American troops in Iraq will be home before the holidays.

With that action, the Iraq war will end. And one of the President's central promises will have been kept.

Both as Americans and as supporters of President Obama, this is something for us to reflect on, and be proud of.

The war in Iraq was a divisive, defining issue in our country for nearly nine years, and was the catalyst for many Americans to get involved in politics for the first time.

Now, thanks to the actions of this President, we can say that conflict is coming to a close.

The end of this war reflects a larger transition in our foreign policy as, in the President's words, "the tide of war is receding." The drawdown in Iraq has allowed us to refocus on the fight against al Qaeda, even as we begin to bring troops home from Afghanistan. And of course, this week also marked the definitive end of the Qaddafi regime in Libya.

These outcomes are an example of what happens when a leader sets a plan and sees it through. In the last campaign, the President committed to getting American troops home while leaving behind a stable and secure Iraq. You rallied around that vision, and now that promise has been fulfilled.

On behalf of this campaign and supporters of the President across the country, I want to thank the more than 1 million Americans who have served in Iraq, and all those who worked to make this possible.

Our Host, Gail Thackray - Clairvoyant Medium, will be doing FREE John Of God workshop, Spiritual JourneysThe location is 14300 Little Tujunga Rd, Sylmar, CA, a 40 acre sanctuary that is used for weddings and events. It is off the 210 freeway, just north of Burbank (oh, how I miss my days @ Kendun Studios in the 70s...what's up Kerry McNabb?), West of Pasadena, close to the 5 and 405.

Looking for volunteers for the fair, Sat (set up), Sun (at fair) and Mon (Clean up)$75 credit per day, you can use to any events or courses, or If you are a vendor interested in a booth email events@gailthackray.com .

According to our records, you are currently living and registered in California's 30th Congressional District.

Last night, Democrats in the Senate tried to pass a simple piece of President Obama's jobs plan that shouldn't be controversial: provide money to prevent further layoffs of teachers, cops, and firefighters at the local level, and pay for it by taxing the income of millionaires an extra 0.5%.

This morning a lot of media outlets reported that the Senate "rejected" or "voted down" this proposal.

But that's not what happened. The measure didn't come to an actual vote.

That's because every single Republican senator filibustered the bill -- meaning they wouldn't even let an up-or-down vote happen. Republicans have unilaterally decided not to allow even that simple majority vote on anything that might help the economy before the next election.

To be clear: This bill would have created jobs, and both parties have supported similar measures in the past.

But, sadly, some in the Congress do not feel any responsibility to act. As someone who has spent a lot of time working in and with the Senate, I can tell you that it's a particularly low moment for the legislative branch of our government.

It doesn't need to be this way. That's why the President and our campaign are focused on fixing what's broken in Washington. Right now, that means we're going to keep the pressure on Congress to act, until every single piece of the President's jobs plan -- the parts to help veterans find jobs and get small businesses hiring more people -- gets a vote.

So please, reach out and keep reaching out to Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, and ask him to give each piece of the American Jobs Act a fair vote.

You can reach his office at (202) 224-2541.

Call now -- then let us know how it went.

If you're on Twitter, be sure to tweet at your Republicans in Congress as well.

The Monterey Jazz Festival, a leader in jazz education since its inception in 1958, is pleased to announce the 8th Annual Next Generation Jazz Festival, featuring the nation’s most talented middle school, high school, conglomerate school, and college jazz musicians and vocalists. The Next Generation Jazz Festival will take place in historic downtown Monterey from March 30 - April 1, 2012.

Now in its eighth successful year in downtown Monterey, the Next Generation Jazz Festival evolved from the Festival’s California High School Jazz Competition, started in 1971, and held at the Monterey County Fairgrounds for 35 of its 41-year history. Now named the Next Generation Jazz Festival, the weekend salute to the future of jazz has expanded to include middle school, conglomerate school, and college level musicians and vocalists.

The Next Generation Jazz Festival is now accepting applications from middle school, high school, and college big bands; from high school and college level conglomerate bands; from open combos; and from high school combos and vocal jazz ensembles through January 22, 2012. Application forms may be downloaded at the Monterey Jazz Festival’s website, montereyjazzfestival.org. The application process is free of charge, as is participation in the prestigious event.

Next Generation Jazz Festival finalists are selected through recorded auditions reviewed and ranked by faculty from the Berklee College of Music, and will include 12 big bands, six combos, and eight vocal ensembles in the High School Division. Six college-level big bands and six college vocal ensembles will also be selected, in addition to six conglomerate and six middle school big bands, and six Open Combos. In addition, specially-invited groups will also perform. In 2011, over 54 groups from across the United States and Japan attended the Next Generation Jazz Festival.

The high school, conglomerate school, and college divisions of the Next Generation Festival Jazz Competition are open to superior rated big bands, combos, and vocal ensembles. The top big bands, combo, and vocal ensemble will win cash awards and be invited to perform at the 55th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival, September 21 - 23, 2012.

Auditions will also be held for chairs in the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, which is slated to tour at jazz venues and festivals throughout North America, as well as being featured on the Monterey Jazz Festival's Sunday afternoon Arena/Lyons Stage.

The event also includes a big band composition competition, open to high school composers. Judged by college faculty from leading music schools across the country, the winning composer will receive the Gerald Wilson Award and a cash prize, with the winning composition to be performed by the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra on the final day of the 55th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival, Sunday, September 23, 2012, on the Jimmy Lyons Stage in the Arena before a crowd of thousands.

All Next Generation Jazz Festival events and activities -- from Friday night's Kick-Off Concert through Saturday and Sunday's High School Jazz Competition -- are open to the public, free of charge. The Festival will also conduct clinics, workshops, jam sessions, and auditions in the heart of historic Monterey, with music to be performed at the Monterey Conference Center, the host Portola Plaza Hotel, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Cannery Row.

Interested schools and students should visit montereyjazzfestival.org for instructions on how to apply to the Next Generation Jazz Festival. Applications with an audition tape/CD should be mailed to: Next Generation Jazz Festival, c/o Jazz Education Director, 9699 Blue Larkspur Lane, Suite 204, Monterey, CA, 93940.

Featured during the weekend of music will be the award-winning trumpeter, Ambrose Akinmusire, who has been selected as the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Artist-In-Residence for 2012. Akinmusire will work with young student musicians in performance, clinics and one-on-one sessions at the Next Generation Jazz Festival and the Festival’s Summer Jazz Camp, in addition to performing at the Monterey Jazz Festival and at other concerts and events throughout the year.

Started in 2004, the Artist-In-Residence program has brought Regina Carter, Branford Marsalis, Kurt Elling, Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride, members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Dianne Reeves and Joshua Redman to the Monterey Bay; their involvement and interaction with students provides a unique educational opportunity through mentorship that will last a lifetime.

Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, winner of the 2007 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition and the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition, recently made his major-label debut on Blue Note Records.

The Oakland, California-born trumpeter attended Berkeley High School and was a member of the 1999 and 2000 Monterey Jazz Festival’s High School All-Star Band. While still in the Berkeley High School Ensemble, he caught the attention of the visiting saxophonist Steve Coleman, who later hired Ambrose as a member of his Five Elements band for extensive European tour. Akinmusire was just 19 years old.

After graduating from Berkeley High School in 2000, he moved to New York to begin a scholarship at the Manhattan School of Music, studying with Vincent Penzerella, Dick Oatts, Lew Soloff, and Laurie Frink. He performed publicly with Lonnie Plaxico, Stefon Harris, Josh Roseman, Vijay Iyer, Charlie Persip, the Mingus Big Band, and the San Francisco Jazz Collective, to name a few.

Ambrose returned to the West Coast in 2005 to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and simultaneously attended the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. His teachers include Terence Blanchard, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Billy Childs and Gary Grant. He has worked with such artists as Jimmy Heath, Jason Moran, Hal Crook, Bob Hurst, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ron Carter, Jason Moran, Wallace Roney, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter. After graduation in 2007, Ambrose won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition and the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition in the space of one week.

After making appearances on recordings by Steve Coleman, Vijay Iyer, Alan Pasqua, Walter Smith III, Josh Roseman, Esperanza Spalding, Aaron Parks, and more in the 2000s, Ambrose made his major-label debut in 2011, releasing "When the Heart Emerges Glistening" on Blue Note Records. Pop Matters said that the record “…should send shivers up every jazz fan’s spine” and Jazzwise Magazine said “…Akimusire is already showing signs of being a major creative figure in the making.” The Los Angeles Times wrote “…he seems practically predestined for a breakout in 2011.”

Thursday, October 20, 2011

With their new "Lenses Alien" full-length, local boys Cymbals Eat Guitars have delivered another big dose of indie rock and will be playing the Bowery Ballroom next Thursday, October 27th, with Hooray for Earth opening. We've got two pairs of tickets up for grabs and to enter, email giveaway@othermusic.com.

You won't want to miss the swinging sound of “The Aggregation” under the direction of Cecil Bridgewater on Tuesday, October 25 at Jazz Tuesdays in the Gillespie Auditorium at the NY Baha'i Center (53 East 11th Street between University Place and Broadway). Hope he will perform "Love and Harmony," a joyful tune Cecil composed & arranged in 1975 for Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra's "New Life" album! There will be 2 shows: 8:00 and 9:30 p.m. Please call 212-222-5159 for Reservations and information.

Bridgewater was born in Urbana, Illinois and studied at the University of Illinois. He and brother Ron formed the Bridgewater Brothers Band in 1969, and in the 1970s he was married to Dee Dee Bridgewater. In 1970 he played with Horace Silver, and following this with Thad Jones and Mel Lewis from 1970 to 1976.

Also in the 1970s he played with Max Roach, starting a decades-long association. Elsewhere he has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Randy Weston, Charles McPherson, Joe Henderson, Roy Brooks, Abdullah Ibrahim and Sam Rivers. Bridgewater's first disc as a leader appeared in 1993. Bridgewater has also composed works premiered by the Cleveland Chamber Orchestra and Meet the Composer.

Cecil Bridgewater has become a great supporter of The Jazz Foundation of America in their mission to save the homes and the lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians including musicians that survived Hurricane Katrina. Cecil performed at the 2008 Benefit Concert, “A Great Night in Harlem” at the World Famous Apollo Theater. He currently teaches as adjunct faculty at Manhattan School of Music, New School, William Paterson University, and The Juilliard School.

Admission is 15.00, 10.00 for students. Tickets will be sold at the door, or call 212-222-5159 for reservations and information.

Jazz Tuesdays in the John Birks Gillespie Auditorium The New York Baha'i Center 53 East 11th Street (between University Place & Broadway) Two shows: 8:00 and 9:30 p.m. (Cecil Bridgewater, left, and Freddie Hubbard during a recording session @ Bennett Studios in 2008)

With Anna’s repertoire of great classic jazz standards and her hilarious off-beat banter, this is the best way to complete the week.

“...the sweetest voice in the current jazz scene. Period.” -Arnaldo DeSouteiro, Jazz Station

Come hang with all the other cool sunshine people of California for a Groovin' Jazz Night with ANNA MJÖLL @ Herb Alpert's VIBRATO! Then you'll understand why we at Jazz Station have voted her one of the Top 5 singers in the current jazz scene.

ALMOST SOLD OUT - AGAIN!!!Anna Mjoll and the Pat Senatore Trio, led by the great bassist who is Vibrato's artistic director.

The Field's new album, "Looping State of Mind" is among the best sellers on the hip Other Music store, and we've also got two pairs of tickets to give away to catch one of Kompakt's finest at Le Poisson Rouge this coming Tuesday, October 25.

Just email tickets@othermusic.com to enter and they'll notify the two winners on Friday.

Nothing less than eight Ramsey Lewis' albums (all recorded for Columbia in the '70s and early '80s) are being reissued today, October 19, on Blu-spec CD format in Japan, by Sony Music. They were digitally remastered using DSD technology and come on deluxe paper sleeve packaging. But you don't need to go to Japan to purchase them (all will be available through Chicago's http://www.dustygroove.com/) neither you need to get a new special equipment, because, amazingly and importantly, Blu-spec CDs are fully compatible with standard CD-players.

The Blu-spec CD, developed by Sony Music Entertainment, applies the manufacturing technologies optimized for the specifications demanded for Blu-ray discs. During the manufacturing of the disc, laser beam is pinpointed to encode data on the microscopic tracks molded on the polycarbonate plastic constituting the surface of the disc. Compared to the conventional laser beam used for the manufacturing of standard CD, the blue laser beam used for the manufacturing of Blu-spec CD has a shorter wavelength, allowing more accurate encoding of the data. Furthermore, polycarbonate plastic optimized for Blu-ray is used to ensure accurate reading of the data.

That said, let's get back to Ramsey's CDs. The titles reissued today are:

"Tequila Mockingbird" (1977)Produced by Bert DeCoteaux (who signs the orchestral arrangements) and Larry Dunn (who did 3 tracks) – with cuts that include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", Eduardo DelBarrio's "That Ole Bach Music", Victor Feldman's "Skippin'", Larry Dunn's title song "Tequila Mockingbird", and Neal Creque's cool tune "Wandering Rose." Recorded in Chicago, New York and Hollywood, with a big budget.Sweet electric Ramsey Lewis – an overlooked gem from the CBS years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty combination of Steinway Grand & Fender Rhodes plus harpsichord and MiniMoog. Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts (Freddie Hubbard among them) at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right.Ramsey works most of time with his touring band: Ron Harris (bass), Keith Howard (drums), Derf Reklaw Raheem (percussion) and Byron Gregory (electric guitar), but there are plenty of guests such as the late master Victor Feldman (electric piano & percussion on his own "Skippin'"), Ronnie Laws (soprano sax), Ndugu (drums) and the EW&F gang: Verdine White, Al McKay, Fred White, Philip Bailey, the Argentinian brothers Eddie (founder of "Caldera" and the composer of EW&F's "Fantasy" hit) and George DelBarrio etc.

"Love Notes" (1977)Another great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash".

"Ramsey" (1979)A sweet late 70s groover from Ramsey – not as all-out electric as some of his earlier work for Columbia, but done with some nice arrangements that have a full and soulful feel! There's a bit of Kalimba/Earth Wind & Fire soul to the mix – and some tracks have production by James Mack and soulful backing vocals by Kitty & The Heywoods – both elements of which serve to provide a nice platform for Ramsey to soar over the top on Steinway. A few cuts feature a bit of electric keys, but overall, the style's in that "acoustic solo instrument over electric backings – in the manner that 70s mainstream fusion was using heavily at the time. Titles include "Dancin", "I'll Always Dream About You", "Every Chance I Get", and "I Just Can't Give You Up".

"Routes" (1980)Ramsey Lewis in two modes – both of them great! The set's got Ramsey working with two different producers, each on a different side of the record – and both of them bring a nice inflection to the soulful groove that Lewis had already developed at Columbia Records! Side one's done with Larry Dunn, who brings in some Earth Wind & Fire talent in the studio – and puts Ramsey in that tight, funky, soul-based groove he always did so well with the group – cast here in that great Columbia Records blend of acoustic piano and electric backings, which always seemed to create a deeper soul than other fusion modes of the time. Side two features Allen Toussaint working with Ramsey – definitely bringing up some New Orleans funk influences from the Crescent City – yet also keeping things nicely electric too, very much in the mode that Toussaint used best at Warner Brothers at the end of the 70s. Titles include "Whisper Zone", "High Point", "Looking Glass", "Come Back Jack", "Hell On Wheels", and "Colors In Space".

"Salongo" (1976)A tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not EW&F entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EW&F were using at the time. Titles include "Slick," "Brazilica", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold"."Sun Goddess" (1974)One of our favorite Ramsey Lewis albums ever – and a perfect summation of the genius that was brewing on the Chicago scene in the late 60s and early 70s! The album has Ramsey working strongly with Earth Wind & Fire – no surprise, given his close ties to Maurice White, who was the drummer in Ramsey's trio before starting his own group – and the shared relationship both artists had with producer Charles Stepney! The three were all key parts of the late 60s sound at Chess Records – but here, they've brought the same soulful energy to Columbia – working in a wider, more mature groove for the 70s – one that has Lewis' wicked Fender Rhodes lines stretching out strongly over tight, compressed, funky lines from EWF! The centerpiece of the set is the massive 7-minute "Sun Goddess", but there's lots of other nice ones like "Living For The City", "Gemini Rising", and "Jungle Strut". Funky, electric, and sublimely wonderful all the way through.

"Ramsey Lewis & Nancy Wilson — Two Of Us" (1984)Ramsey and Nancy "Guess Who I Saw Today?" Wilson – two key soulful talents from the 60s, working together beautifully here in a mid 80s set. The album's almost more Randy's than it is Nancy's given that Lewis takes a few tunes instrumentally, working in a blend of acoustic and electric instrumentation that's very much in his best early 80s Columbia Records mode. But things really come together when Nancy joins in – bringing her mature, soulful approach to the tunes – and really tying them together wonderfully with her vocals! Stanley Clarke produced, and there's definitely some echoes here of his own music of the time – and titles include "Ram", "Quiet Storm", "Never Wanna Say Goodnight", "Closer Than Close", and "Breaker Beat".

"Don't It Feel Good" (1975)Massive keyboard work from Ramsey in a spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney, who plays keyboards here along with the leader, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function".